


Moving Forward

by musicmillennia



Category: DC's Legends of Tomorrow (TV)
Genre: Gift Giving, Hopeful Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 02:18:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 960
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8692543
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/musicmillennia/pseuds/musicmillennia
Summary: [Day 1: Festival/Holiday]“Christmas come early or somethin’?”“There’s no occasion. Well, technically Christmas is always and never happening when we’re in the time stream, so I guess if you wanted to count that, we could?





	

**Author's Note:**

> There were quite a few AU ways I wanted to go with this prompt, but I ended up with this instead. Because tbh I'm a Bitter Bitch about how Ray's treated Mick these past couple episodes lmao

“Mick?”

Mick doesn’t look up from cleaning his gun. “Thought you’d be busy with your new buddy.”

Ray rushes the rest of the way to his chair. “I know I kind of ran off on you. I didn’t mean it like that. It’s just---we’re on a team. We should be friends with them too.”

“Partners should come first,” Mick says, “so when you find a new one, you tell ‘em.”

There’s a bitterness in his voice that takes a second to register. Ray looks down at the object in his hands.

“I didn’t find a new one, Mick. And Snart hadn’t either.” Mick’s eyes size him up in the way that Ray’s come to see as the thing he does when a nerve’s hit.

But then Mick says, “I know he didn’t,” and he doesn’t sound upset. So maybe Ray misinterpreted.

Ray’s misinterpreted a lot of things about Mick.

“Here.”

Mick raises an eyebrow at the box. It’s wrapped in black paper with hot rod flames. “Where’d you get the wrapping paper?”

“Gideon. Thought you’d like it.”

Mick grunts and takes it. “Christmas come early or somethin’?”

“There’s no occasion. Well, technically Christmas is always and never happening when we’re in the time stream, so I guess if you wanted to count that, we could? But I just wanted to...do something for you. As an apology and a thank you.”

Mick hums. He lifts the box---

“Don’t shake it!” Ray cries, hands out, “It’s not supposed to be shaken!”

“Did you get me a puppy?” Mick simpers.

“Mick, come on.”

“Calm down, Haircut. I wasn’t gonna shake it.”

Ray glowers at him until he smirks and adds, “Much.”

The gift wrapping’s promptly shredded.

“You got me a locked box.”

Ray ducks his head a little. “No, I just thought it’d be a fun little addition. ‘Cause, y’know, you’re a criminal and you pick locks.” He winces. “Too much?”

Mick rolls his eyes in a way that looks almost startlingly reminiscent of Snart. Then he gropes in front of him for one of the tools he uses for his gun maintenance. The lock’s picked in seconds, even though Ray’s almost positive it was supposed to be high quality.

Then again, this is the same man who resisted the instinct to bite him while an actual zombie. Which Ray hadn’t even asked about, had he? He’s really not used to this whole partner thing.

Mick’s not saying anything.

Ray tries to read his face, but it’s no good. “Um...do you like it? I know it’s not the same, but. I figured, maybe it’ll do for now? Until we can get back to 2016 and gather better materials?”

Mick’s fingers hover over the cold gun. It looks exactly the same as its predecessor, but Ray’s pretty sure the version he cooked up feels a lot different to someone who knew the original and its owner so well.

“I’m not trying to replace the old one,” Ray says, “I’m just...I’m sorry for dismantling the other one. Even if it was to save our lives, I still felt like it was the wrong thing to do.” He tries for a smile. “And you know how it is with us heroes and injustice.”

Mick finally looks up at him. His expression’s still carefully blank. “Does it work?”

“My aim’s still pretty terrible, but it definitely ices things.”

Mick goes back to staring at the gun. “Now that you’ve got your dwarf star, you can go back to wearing that suit.”

Ray deflates. “Right. Yeah, no, of course. I didn’t mean to say that I was trying to be partners again.” Mick stiffens. “I mean, I didn’t do so well the first time around, so it’s understandable...”

Mick’s eyebrows furrow. “That’s it, huh? Just ‘cause you’re bad at it?”

“Well, you and Snart were so---”

“Me and Snart had thirty years to get to where we were, and if you still thought we were air tight, you clearly weren’t payin’ attention.” Mick takes the cold gun out and stands, facing Ray. “So either you quit easier than I thought you did, or you don’t wanna be partners. Which is it?”

Ray’s eyes widen. “You mean you’d...take me back?”

“This ain’t a love story, Haircut. You left me behind and ignored what you did. You take responsibility for it or you don’t. No one’ll blame you for leavin’ it be. I’m the animal, the crook.”

Ray starts. “Of course I want to take responsibility. You’re my---well, I want to say you’re my friend.”

“It’s not an obligation,” Mick spits. “That’s where Snart and I went wrong most. Second you see this like somethin’ you have to do, it’s over.”

Ray stares at him and wonders why the team draws straws to talk to this man.

He throws his arms around Mick’s neck, mindful of the cold gun and nothing else.

“I _want_ to be your partner,” he murmurs into Mick’s hardened shoulder, “I’m so sorry, Mick.”

Mick backs out of his arms, but lets Ray grip his shoulders.

“I won’t waste a second chance,” Ray says.

Mick replies, “You’re not touchin’ this gun on a mission until you can shoot it proper.”

Ray grins. “Fair enough. And for the record, you’re not an animal. Whoever told you that is wrong.” He swallows. “We all got it wrong. And I promise that won’t happen again.”

Mick snorts. “Good luck with that.”

Ray takes fistfuls of his shirt. “I mean it, Mick. And I’ll prove it to you.”

Mick goes quiet again. He nods without looking Ray in the eye and turns to put the cold gun back in the box.

Ray doesn’t think it’s nearly enough, that new gun, but it’s a start.


End file.
